UN Expresses Concerns Over Ukraine Violence

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed concerns over the ongoing standoff between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian armed groups in Ukraine's east.

In a statement issued on May 6, the commissioner's spokesman, Rupert Colville, called on all sides involved in the conflict to find peaceful solution of the crisis.

Colville called on the Ukrainian government to ensure that military and police operations are undertaken in line with international standards, and to thoroughly investigate violence, including the fire in the labor-union building in Odesa last week that killed dozens.

The statement said that armed opposition groups must stop all illegal actions, including detaining people and seizing public buildings, lay down weapons, free arbitrarily detained persons, and vacate occupied public and administrative buildings, the statement said.